Last Month’s Ice Storm Knocked Down More Trees in Portland Than Any Weather Event in 30 Years

City Forester Jenn Cairo talks about the biggest tree that the ice storm toppled.

(Jonathan Inthavong)

If a tree falls in Portland, Jenn Cairo hears about it.

Last month, Cairo—the city of Portland's forester—was visiting more than she ever had before. A massive ice storm cut power to thousands of households, and sent limbs and trunks toppling into city streets.

The scale of the storm won't be quickly forgotten by Cairo and her team of city arborists, whose job it is to remove branches from the road. WW previously reported that Portland Parks & Recreation responded to 600 reports of downed trees. At the final tally, that number increased to nearly 800.

That's the most tree damage Portland has seen from one weather event in at least 30 years.

In this conversation, Cairo talks about the biggest tree that the ice storm toppled, what parts of town were hit hardest, and answers an annoying question: Does Portland have too many trees?

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